On Learning The Basics of Drawing

Discover All That You Can Be

Learning the basics of drawing (elements like shape, line, form, shading and design) can be a big adventure; one that challenges your mind and stirs your creativity.

Most of the time, though, it's really boring. Spending hours in drawing class learning how to draw a straight line or perfect circle is no one’s idea of a rockin' time. It's when you master your skills that the real fun begins.

Once you master the basics, you can draw any subject, explore any art form, bring any creative vision to life. The drawing or painting you once envisioned, you can now do.

Learning is the Easy Part

Learning the basic skills of drawing a picture is not a tough process for most people. Many of us doodle as a hobby, and it's little wonder. When one first learns to sketch, they are just trying their hand at lines and shapes and committing them to paper.

It's how these lines and shapes come together that can be a challenge, and not just for beginning artists. Sketchers at every level are constantly challenged to come up with novel subjects, fresh techniques, and even new media forms. Cha! No pressure there, right? Trust me though, pressure can be fun—especially when you create that one of a kind artwork which opens eyes. And wallets...

Practice Makes Perfect (No, Really!)

No one is born a great artist—except for you and me, of course! (wink) For the rest, creative competence is as the old saying goes, 10 percent inspiration, 90 percent perspiration.

Once you learn the skills associated with mastering artistic technique (i.e., drawing shapes and lines, shading, making figures, etc.) you will be able to draw basic pictures and portraits. You will be able to produce the kind of 'flowers in the garden' or 'fruit in the bowl' sketch that will earn you a passing grade in art class. Yet if you want to get an A, or if you want to carve (or, more accurately, draw) a niche for yourself in the creative arts, keep working and striving to learn innovative techniques and try new subjects. If you never stop learning, then you will never stop growing, improving and excelling.

You Don't Have to Be a Pro to Be an Artist

Would you like to be one of those artists who earns a cool mill for each drawing or painting, (like the late Lucian Freud who sold a painting for $33 million) whose work is featured in every major gallery and respectable department store, and whose moniker becomes a household name, on par with Monet or Rembrandt?

Yeah, well, good luck with that. For while you are no doubt a very talented artist, few people in the creative field (whether they're drawers, writers, actors, etc.) achieve worldwide prominence and amass huge bank accounts.

Ready to chuck your pencils and sketchpad and become a plumber? Now hold up; think for a moment about the immense pleasure you feel when you bring your vision to life on canvas. Think about the pride and satisfaction you experience when you look at a finished drawing. Think also about the happiness your work brings to other people; both to the friends, teachers and family members who take immense pride in your efforts, and the customers and admirers who—thanks to your art—have a little more wonder and vibrancy in their lives.

Any type of art, at every level, colors the world.

See the World through an Artist's Eyes A good artist can show us a pretty picture of a flower bed. A great artist can beautify the rocks that surround the flowers.

While many quality artists show us grand, lovely images to enjoy and appreciate, the top-notch painters brings out the beauty in everyday life. He or she can make a factory look as beautiful as a mansion, and a washer woman appear as striking as a supermodel.

They accomplish this feat by showing us the world through their eyes; by sharing an exquisite vision that shows us every asset, every nuance of any subject. They see things that no one else sees; and, once in a while, they’re willing to let the rest of us take a peek as well.